Calm after the rush Once the tourists have gone, the worry about the family income increases
The columnist loves the time when there are fewer guests and peace and quiet returns to the Portuguese town where she lives. At the same time, the family's income suffers. The classic tourism dilemma.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- blue News columnist Michelle de Oliveira loves the time when there are fewer visitors and peace returns to the small Portuguese village where she has lived for a few years.
- At the same time, the income of her family of four suffers. It's the classic dilemma of tourism.
- "While I enjoy the peace and quiet and the sleepiness in November, there is also concern: My husband opened a clothes store here almost exactly a year ago," says de Oliveira.
These days, when I go for my daily walk on the beach with my dog on a lead and the wind in my face, I am almost alone.
A few fishermen stand unperturbed by the water, only a few brave souls face the mighty waves with their surfboards, seagulls sit in large groups on the beach instead of people on colorful bath towels.
Every now and then I come across another person walking, the sand is cold and the sea water lapping against my feet seems warmer than in summer because of the cool air.
The tourists have all left
About the person: Michelle de Oliveira
Michelle de Oliveira is a journalist, yogini, mother and always in search of balance - and not just on the yoga mat. She also has a soft spot for all things spiritual. In her column, she reports on her experiences with the incomprehensible, but also from her very real life with all its joys and challenges. She lives with her family in Portugal.
It's fall, the summer season is finally over and the visitors - from Portugal and abroad - are fewer and fewer.
The sometimes almost palpable intensity of summer is over, the light is softer, there is less traffic and I can find a free spot in the sun anytime, anywhere.
I love this time of year.
After all, it was in February a few years ago that I fell in love with this small, almost boring coastal town.
And with every day that is shorter than its predecessor, my new home turns back into this magical corner of the world that I love so much.
The waves in Santa Cruz are more unpredictable
It's not even the case that Santa Cruz is a real tourist hotspot. The waves here are more unpredictable than on other beaches and the microclimate in summer often brings cool temperatures and thick fog like in Zurich in November.
This puts some visitors off. Other regions, however - such as Lisbon, Porto or the Algarve - have to struggle much more with the negative effects of overtourism: absurdly high prices for housing, services and food, congested roads, displacement of locals and their often small businesses.
Portugal is a popular vacation destination, even for short weekend trips: It can be reached from Switzerland in just over two and a half hours, is still rather cheap in comparison, the beaches are almost endless and the temperatures are relatively mild even in winter.
According to the Instituto Nacional de Estatística, almost 27 million people visited Portugal in 2023 - more than in the previous record year of 2019.
Family income suffers during the winter dormancy
But while I'm enjoying the peace and quiet and the sleepiness at the beginning of November, there is also concern: My husband opened a clothes store here almost exactly a year ago.
In addition to his regular Portuguese customers, visitors from all over the world also bring in sales, of course. So during the quiet months, his business also goes into a kind of hibernation - and our income suffers.
It's a typical dilemma that we experience: We want our little place to retain its character and tranquillity, and at the same time we're happy to be busy in the summer.
We are like almost everyone who has a business, a restaurant or accommodation here.
But it also has its nice sides: We're all in the same boat, or rather on the same beach. And we enjoy the quieter times together, recover from the busy summer season and make plans for next year's waves of guests.
